Snapshots
Snapshots are point-in-time images of your servers stored directly in your Hetzner Cloud project. hetsnap creates and manages them via the Hetzner API — they appear alongside any snapshots you create manually in the Hetzner Console.
Snapshots vs. Hetzner Backups
Hetzner offers two kinds of server backups:
| Hetzner Backups | Snapshots (hetsnap) | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | 20% of server monthly price, always on | ~0.0119 € / GB / month — pay for what you use |
| Retention | Max 7 backups, managed by Hetzner | Fully configurable — days, weeks, or months |
| Scheduling | Fixed Hetzner window, no control | You choose the exact time |
| Automation | Always on, no custom logic | Daily, weekly, and monthly rules |
For most setups, snapshot-based backups with hetsnap are significantly cheaper — especially if you have retention periods shorter than 7 days or servers you only need to back up weekly.
Creating a manual snapshot
- Go to Snapshots in the sidebar.
- Click New Snapshot.
- Select the server and add an optional description.
- Click Create.
The snapshot status shows Creating while Hetzner processes it. Depending on the disk size, this typically takes 1–5 minutes. The status changes to Available once complete.
Viewing snapshots
The Snapshots list shows all snapshots across all connected projects. You can filter by project, server, or status, and sort by size or creation date.
You can also view snapshots per server: open a server's detail page and scroll to the Snapshots tab.
Deleting a snapshot
To delete a snapshot, open the action menu (⋮) on any row and click Delete. hetsnap will delete it from your Hetzner project. This action cannot be undone.
Snapshots managed by a schedule are deleted automatically when they exceed their retention period — you don't need to delete them manually.
Syncing with Hetzner
hetsnap syncs your snapshot list with Hetzner automatically whenever a project is connected or updated. You can also trigger a manual sync at any time using the Sync Snapshots button on the Snapshots list page.
Snapshots created directly in the Hetzner Console will appear in hetsnap after the next sync.
Storage costs
Snapshots are stored in your Hetzner project and billed by Hetzner directly at approximately 0.0119 € / GB / month (check Hetzner's pricing page for current rates). hetsnap does not charge for storage — your snapshot costs appear directly on your Hetzner invoice.